1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for collating laminar workpieces with a continuous conveyor which determines a direction of conveyance, feeders which deliver the workpieces to the continuous conveyor for the assembly of brochures, and with controls for the operation of the feeders and the continuous conveyor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional device of this type includes a component of a saddle stitcher as disclosed, for example, in DE 197 52 015 A1. The saddle stitcher disclosed therein for the assembly of stitched brochures from folded sheets includes individual driving units, one of which is respectively allocated to a stitching station, to each feeder, and to a continuous conveyor in the form of a saddle chain. This provides exceedingly flexible operation of the saddle stitcher in which the controls provided therein adjust, particularly, the phasing of the feeders in relation to the saddle chain to a respective new spine length when the spine length of the folded sheets is changed due to a change in task.
While a saddle stitcher designed in such a manner can process folded sheets in portrait format without problems and at a respectable rate of productivity, problems arise particularly with folded sheets in landscape format if no further measures are taken, insofar as folded sheets of a respective brochure following one another do not come to lie on top of one another after shingling, but rather abut at their top sides, and at their bottom sides, which leads to faulty production and malfunctions.